February 16, 2025

Weekly Information for February 14, 2025

Share Post

Dear Parker Community:

I am writing to introduce changes to the leadership structure at Parker, changes designed to ensure that we continue to provide an exceptional education for every student who is lucky enough to attend Parker. Please know that the Board of Trustees, school leadership, faculty and staff have all weighed in on the decision with their own perspectives. We generally agree on the need to invest in our long-term sustainability and growth. We look forward with excitement and confidence.


Parker was founded 30 years ago on the belief that students need to be known, valued and challenged as learners and human beings. Students need to use their mind well, mastering a limited number of essential skills and areas of knowledge, in a culture of decency and trust. These Common Principles are as important today as ever.


Looking forward to our next 30 years and beyond, we ask ourselves “who do we want to become.” We appreciate the Senior Class for crafting such an important and timely Essential Question this year. The preface to our Strategic Plan envisions the future of Parker this way…


With students at the center of everything that we do - Parker will share its voice, partner with others, and grow as a celebrated leader in progressive education.


To meet these lofty goals, the Parker Board of Trustees voted last night to approve the creation of a new leadership structure, with two major changes for the 2025-2026 school year.


First, we are changing my role from Head of School to Executive Director, a leadership model employed by most charter public schools in the state. As the Executive Director, I will focus externally on the growth and long-term viability of Parker. I will establish partnerships to ensure healthy enrollment, philanthropic support, and business opportunities in progressive education. I will continue to lead the organization and be a regular presence on campus.


Second, we are hiring a Principal to serve as the primary instructional leader for Parker and lead the day-to-day life of the school. The Principal will serve as the main contact for students, families and staff. While Deb Merriam already provides outstanding leadership and would be an excellent Principal, she is not interested in the new role. Deb will continue to serve as the Academic Dean and will mentor the new Principal.


We imagine the new Principal will be someone with personal experience learning and/or working at Parker or a school like ours. We plan to post the position this week and start interviewing candidates in March. Please join us on Tuesday, March 4th for a discussion about the ideal qualities and characteristics of the new Principal and the evolution of leadership at Parker. The session will be hybrid, in-person and online, from 6:30-7:30 PM in Room 40. Please see the login information below. By the end of March, we hope to invite 2-3 finalists to visit Parker to meet students, families and staff. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your support throughout the process.


Principal Discussion

March 4th, 6:30-7:30 PM, Hybrid, In-person and Online
Remote: (see weekly email for link)
Meeting ID: (see weekly email)
Passcode: (see weekly email)
In-person: Room 40


Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Limited Yearbook Quantities
  • 2025-2026 Calendar
  • Sibling Lottery Applications
  • School Report Card
  • Help with a Senior Project!
  • ¡Se venden Pulseras! Pulseras for Sale!
  • NEW Volleyball Club
  • Seeking Creative Donations
Limited Yearbook Quantities

Yearbook order numbers are due to the printer on February 28, so please order your student’s yearbook now to ensure there is a copy for them. Hard cover and soft cover books all have the same content while the Division 1 books contain the same whole school and Division 1 sections but not the sections for Division 2, Juniors, Seniors, and senior parent ad pages. Currently, hard cover books are $60, soft cover books are $40, and Division 1 books are $20.


2025-2026 Calendar

The calendar for next school year has been approved by the Board of Trustees and a printable version is available on the Current Families webpage under the online calendar.


Sibling Applications for Next Year

Parker is currently accepting applications for students entering grades 7, 8 and 9 next year. Siblings of current students planning to attend the Parker School for the 2025-2026 school year MUST complete an application no later than March 1, 2025. Current students do not need to reapply. Siblings receive preference in the lottery but must complete an application here: https://forms.rediker.com/FPCES. You are welcome to call our front office prior to March 1 to verify your application has been received. The lottery will be held on Thursday, March 6, at 4 PM. Please send interested friends to parker.school/enroll for more information.


2024 School Report Card

Every year, each public school and school district in Massachusetts receives a report card, which we are required to post. All district report cards are available at
http://reportcards.doe.mass.edu/. Click here to view our 2024 School Report Card.


Help with a Senior Project!

Hi, my name is Will Dawes, and I am doing my senior project on small engine repair. I am looking for chainsaws and leaf blowers that don’t run that I could fix for you. If you have anything like this, please reach out to me at william.dawes@theparkerschool.org. Thank You!


¡Se venden Pulseras! Pulseras for Sale!

From February 24th through the 28th, Division 1a Spanish students will be selling bracelets or Pulseras during lunch (12:30-12:50 PM) in the Cafégymatorium. Each Pulsera costs only $5.00 dollars and comes tagged with a photo and signature of the artist who made it. The money raised will help sustain employment and other empowerment programs that benefit artists and communities throughout Central America. Thank you for your support!


NEW Volleyball Club

Hello Parker families! We have very exciting news for you…. Parker’s BRAND-NEW volleyball club is open for signups! We will be having our first practice on Thursday March 20th from 4:00-5:15 PM after school. The season will last for 8 Thursday's and involve a variety of skill drills and scrimmage playing. Everyone is welcome to join, no matter their level of experience playing volleyball or division. The fee for joining will be $25, and we ask you to fill out permission forms and the fee as soon as possible to claim your spot! Thank you, and we’ll see you on the court soon! Register here at: https://forms.office.com/r/3XRb6gUSpw.


Seeking Creative Donations

As part of Parker's 30th celebration at the Bull Run restaurant on April 5th, we're seeking community-sourced items for the live auction and raffle baskets. Donation ideas are only limited by your imagination! Some ideas: insider access to a special venue—tickets to sports, arts, or music events—vacation home weeks/weekends—chat about your favorite topic over lunch—handmade jewelry, crafts, or art—favorite books—a day out sailing or fishing—lessons or sessions in your “thing” (massage, yodeling, golf, making jelly, writing, knitting - it’s all great!)—power-washing, carpentry, plumbing, etc. Please email your idea with a detailed description to: Dawn Van Patten (hellodawnvp@gmail.com)

Parents of Athletes

Do you know how to find your way to Parker’s playing locations? We have a GREAT feature on our website with interactive Google maps - just enter your address to receive directions to any of our game and meet locations. Find this feature by clicking HERE.

Upcoming Dates of Note:
Mon-Fri; Feb 17-21 Winter Break
Thu - Mar 6 Enrollment Lottery
Fri - Mar 7 Drag Ball
Wed - Mar 12 Support Our Seniors Potluck
Fri - Mar 14 Spring PLPs - No Classes
Mon - Mar 17 March Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Wed - Mar 19 Café Wednesday
Thu - Mar 20 Board of Trustees
Tue - Mar 25 10th Grade ELA MCAS
Wed - Mar 26 Noon Dismissal - Faculty Planning
Thu - Mar 27 10th Grade ELA MCAS
Looking for help with or concerning: Please contact:
a specific class or assignment the teacher of that class (see Parker email list)
technical support email: helpdesk@theparkerschool.org
your family's or student's health email: lzick@theparkerschool.org
mental health/emotional support needs email: skelly@theparkerschool.org
food insecurity/free and reduced school lunch needs email: mmckenna@theparkerschool.org

The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School is committed to equal employment and educational opportunity for all members of the school community and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, gender identity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, homelessness, or disability, in the operation of the educational programs, activities, or employment policies

Recent Posts

Weekly Information for February 13, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • February 13, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Wishing you and your family wonderful break! We hope the week off is restful and rejuvenating. We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday, February 23.  Stay safe and warm! Bex

Weekly Information for February 6, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • February 7, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We are a week away from February break, an opportunity to beat our winter colds and dream about warmer days ahead. For a few in our community, it is an opportunity to experience something new as they travel abroad with their Parker classmates. We are sending groups to the Bahamas and the Netherlands again this year. We hope they have a terrific trip. We appreciate the trust of our families and hard work of our staff to make experiences like this possible. We are less than a month away from our March 1st application deadline for new students and families. Thank you to everyone who helps to spread the word and create a positive buzz around the school. If you have a neighbor or friend who may be interested in Parker, please share your experiences. And remember, younger siblings need to apply to be eligible for admission. There is a sibling preference in the lottery, but you still need to apply. We have three information sessions remaining just before and after break. For additional details and a link to the application visit parker.school/enroll . Thank you to everyone who joined us for Fair Funding Week this week. Of the 68 charter schools in Massachusetts, Parker had the most participants! To kick off the week, the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association shared the following video. It is worth a two-minute watch. You will see and hear Parker families and staff throughout the video. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1371197804687927 And our efforts are working! Governor Healy’s budget for next year includes a modest increase in facility funding for charter public schools. While we continue to receive significantly less facility aid than traditional public schools, we appreciate and celebrate steps towards closing that gap. Congratulations to our students on their accomplishments this week. Four Division 1 students recently represented Parker at the Chapter Competition for Mathcounts, a national math competition for middle school students. We are proud to congratulate Nathan Warren, Julia Crighton, Stephen Tatro, and Adam Rhodin for a strong performance—their team came in 3rd place! Our high school Mock Trial Team finished their preliminary trial round this week with an impressive 3-0 win record. They will be advancing to the state tournament, which will be held at Clark University on March 1. We wish them good luck! Thank you for showing up in all sorts of ways to support Parker. We appreciate our community! Have a great weekend. Brian

Weekly Information for January 30, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • January 30, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We have officially started the second semester of the 2025-26 school year! This is both a measure of progress and a time of new beginnings. Here at (or really a little past) the midway point of the year, there are exciting things happening—some as small as a new unit of study in a class and maybe as big as starting new classes in a new division after a mid-year gateway. I had my first chance to join an information session for prospective students and families this week and it was a powerful reminder to me about many of the most important and unique aspects of our school. Whether it was hearing some of our older student ambassadors talk about which of the 10 Common Principles is meaningful to them, or hearing parents share stories of their student’s learning experience at Parker, or seeing our teachers introduce new students to the kinds of learning activities and thinking we ask them to do in school, each of these highlighted an element of our school’s very intentional design. We get to know our students well, we build a caring and inclusive community, and we build on those connections and relationships to challenge and support our students to take on intellectual challenges, push themselves in their thinking and work, and to become independent thinkers and learners. If you or your student have appreciated these (or other things) about Parker, and you would like state lawmakers to prioritize fair funding for all students in every type of public school, you have an opportunity to raise your voice and advocate for us. Next week, February 2-6, is Fair Funding Week, sponsored by the Massachusetts Public Charter School Association. See below for more information about how to register for events and advocate for fair and equitable funding for our students and school. Wishing you all extra warmth over this cold stretch of days. Best, Bex

Weekly Information for January 23, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • January 24, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Congratulations to all the students who Gatewayed over the last two days. It is always a joyful and celebratory moment for our students and a testament to their hard work and perseverance. We appreciate all the friends, family and teachers who helped to make this possible. Congratulations to our whole community. We are all bracing for a big winter storm coming this weekend. As you know, Monday is a professional development day for our faculty. We will work remotely on Monday so that we are ready for the start of second semester on Tuesday. Depending on the timing of the storm and the cleanup, Tuesday morning may be impacted as well. We will communicate by text, email and through local media outlets if so. Given recent news about immigration enforcement across the country, I wanted to share the letter that I wrote a year ago. We follow the law and clear guidelines from the Massachusetts Attorney General, prioritizing student safety and parental rights. As I write in the letter, we are “committed to ensuring that students and families may come to school without fear and will comply with all applicable state laws to ensure the protection of our students and families.” January 31, 2025 letter.docx Thank you for helping to make Parker an inclusive, safe and affirming community for all our students and families. We look forward to welcoming five new students to Parker on Tuesday. We also hosted over 100 visitors at our first information session of the year last night. The energy and student questions were terrific! If you have any neighbors or friends who are considering Parker, invite them to apply for the lottery and attend one of our upcoming information sessions. See our website for more details. Enrollment at Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School Respectfully, Brian

Weekly Information for January 16, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • January 16, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I often find this time of year provides a reminder to me to have hope amidst the short, dark, cold winter days we endure. By mid-January, I can start to see signs of more light, and sometimes we experience an unseasonably warm day or two—and these changes, though small or temporary, remind me that little by little, every day, tangible things are changing. The Winter Solstice had 6 hours and 12 minutes less daylight than the Summer Solstice. That’s a pretty dramatic difference—but it happened a little bit at a time. Going the other direction works the same way; first we gain only a few seconds of light each day, but by early January, we are gaining a minute of light each day, and by early February, several minutes a day. Change is funny like that—sometimes it happens so gradually we don’t see or feel its impact right away and sometimes it barrels in so we are acutely aware of it. The physical shock of greeting students at the front door this morning in much colder temperatures than yesterday morning is a fine example of the latter. This was a change not to be ignored, and even though I knew to expect it, that didn’t mitigate the jarring effects. Still, that brief respite of days edging toward 50 degrees can fuel my hope that warmer days are coming. Learning is rarely a predictable increase like the amount of light we gain daily moving from winter to summer, but it is often an incremental shift. Sometimes the slow building of skills starts to become evident only with what feels like a lot of effort and time. If you have a student about to complete a mid-year Gateway, you will soon see this sort of change and growth in their work right before your eyes. If your student is working toward a June gateway, or even a gateway next January or June, I would encourage you to look for those small, incremental changes between here and there. Those sometimes-tiny changes are like the extra moments of light in a winter day; they are adding up to something bigger that will be well worth the wait, and I hope that can give us all a little hope this time of year. Best wishes for a restful weekend and a meaningful celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on Monday, January 19. Bex

Weekly Information for January 9, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • January 10, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We had the rare treat of a two-week winter break this year. It was great to welcome our well-rested students back to school on Monday. We have a busy three weeks remaining of the first semester. Students are completing assessments and many are preparing for Midyear Gateways. 68 students will Gateway, in every division and domain, on January 22-23. We look forward to celebrating this important milestone with our students and their families, teachers and peers. Second semester brings new electives for Division 3 students, new Community Blocks for all students, and the anticipation of end-of-year activities. We have officially kicked off student recruiting for next year. We have five information sessions scheduled in January and February, we are about to send postcards to prospective students, and we have a terrific group of student and adult Ambassadors. Thank you to everyone who helps to spread the word about Parker and welcome new students and families. Word of mouth has always been the most effective way that we introduce Parker to new families. If you have a neighbor or friend who may be interested in Parker, please share your experiences. We’d love your help boosting our school’s visibility. When you see our posts on Facebook or Instagram , please take a moment to like and share them with your networks. Your support helps us reach more families and celebrate the great things happening in our community. Additionally, remember, younger siblings need to apply to be eligible for admission. There is a sibling preference in the lottery, but you still need to apply. For additional details and a link to the application visit parker.school/enroll . We appreciate everyone who contacted their legislator and advocated for charter schools this fall. As you may know, there are multiple pieces of legislation under consideration that would lower the cap of charter-eligible students and limit funding for charter public schools. Many families are surprised to learn that students attending charter public schools receive less state funding than their peers in district schools. As lawmakers begin shaping next year’s state budget, we have a critical opportunity to make our voices heard and push for the equitable funding that our students deserve. We are about to launch Fair Funding Week 2026 led by the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association. We hope that you will join us for this virtual week of celebration, advocacy, and collective action from February 2-6, 2026. Fair Funding Week kicks off with an inspiring virtual rally on Monday, February 2nd from 6:00–6:30 PM. Register now and stand with us Have a great weekend. Brian